The panel voted 48-4 for the appropriations bill, which provides $606.5 billion in base discretionary funds and $68.1 billion for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account.

“This bill does what General Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff has asked. It ensures the joint force has the depth, flexibility, readiness and responsiveness that ensures our men and women will never face a fair fight,” defense subcommittee chairwoman Rep. Kay Granger, Texas Republican, said in a statement.

Among the spending specifics, it includes $9.4 billion for the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps to purchase 93 of Lockheed Martin’s high-tech F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters. The Trump Administration and Pentagon had requested 77 planes.

Concerns over the long-term costs of maintaining the F-35s had kept the number of proposed purchases in the 70s in the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which runs concurrently to the appropriations request and which House members have already passed.

On Wednesday, Ms. Granger explained the increase was “to maintain air superiority” and variety. Read more

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